“It is,” Sora said, “but I also want to get it right because we might have only one chance, and I need more time to figure out how to get close enough to him to do it. I’ve been racking my brain since he first gave his soul to Zomuri, and I still haven’t found an answer. Maybe Empress Aki can help us, though. She’s his sister; she might know a weakness about him that we can exploit.”

Daemon nodded. “Good point. So as soon as Fairy’s well enough . . .”

Sora grinned. “We go on a rescue mission.”

Chapter Forty

Thoma was a sweet potato–shaped island across the ocean from Kichona. It was small but famed for its navy and had been an independent kingdom for two centuries.

Until today. Gin hopped off the rowboat that brought him to shore and surveyed his first conquered territory. The Thomasian navy had fought fiercely, but they were no match for his ryuu and their new ships. Without a pause, Gin’s gaze swept over the palm trees and the crystalline blue waters of the lagoons that surrounded the island and landed swiftly on the prisoners lined up on the beach.

Tidepool, the ryuu who had led the attack, jogged over to Gin.

“What are our casualties?” Gin asked.

“Two, Your Majesty,” she said. “Steeltoe and Morning Glory.”

He frowned. Steeltoe, in particular, had been useful. She’d been working on a new kind of armor for the ryuu. But Gin shrugged it off; giving up his soul made it easy to ignore any pangs of conscience at damning two of his soldiers to the hells. Besides, losses were expected in war, and since the ryuu were fighting ordinary soldiers—not taigas—they didn’t have much use for traditional weapons and armor like Steeltoe had been working on. Gin’s armies had simply overwhelmed Thoma’s navy with magic.

He tilted his chin at the prisoners kneeling in the sand. “Are they ready to submit to a new ruler?”

“Unfortunately,” Tidepool said, “they’re true to the reputation of Thomasians—clever as dolphins, fierce as orcas, and obstinate as old barnacles. But their defiance is nothing you can’t fix with your powers, Your Majesty.”

Gin began to make his way over to them, sinking a little in the sand. Yes, he could brainwash the sailors. But there was also a prideful part of him that wanted to win them over on his own instead. The rulers of vast empires past hadn’t needed to brainwash all the citizens in order to rule their lands. And the taigas who’d sided with him a decade ago during the Blood Rift—the warriors who became the original ryuu—had also believed in Gin willingly.

It might be amusing to try winning the Thomasian sailors over first.

“Prisoners!” Tidepool shouted. “Bow for your new emperor, His Majesty, Gin Ora!”